To the editor:
Whether you want to come to share your voice or just lend an ear, the Gloucester Community Preservation Committee invites the residents of Gloucester to this spring's second public hearing.
The first hearing was held on Wednesday, April 4, at Sawyer Free Library in the Friend Room. It featured the Round 3 applications under consideration for funding through the Community Preservation Act, and focused on two areas: community housing and open space.
However, the community housing application for the Community Development Department, affordable housing incentive program was withdrawn.
The open space applicants for this round included the Niles Pond Conservancy, Friends of Good Harbor Inc., and the Open Space and Recreation Committee.
I haven't met anyone on Cape Ann during my 15 years as a Gloucester resident that did not appreciate and value the amazing array of natural resources that surround us.
The ability to connect with natural beauty is one of the aspects of being human that helps us navigate many of the challenges of our lives and remain hopeful.
Come and hear about the plans of your Gloucester neighbors to add to the legacy of our ancestors who intentionally preserved open space so that we could lead better and happier lives. Every time I walk through Ravenswood, I am eternally grateful for their foresight.
The second public hearing for the Historic Preservation applicants will be Tuesday, April 17, at 6 p.m. at the Sawyer Free Library, Friend Room.
The Round 3 applicants in the Historic Preservation category include Rocky Neck Art Colony, North Shore Art Association, Lanes Cove Fish Shack Building Committee, Cape Ann Museum, Magnolia Historical Society, Maritime Gloucester, Phyllis A. Marine Association and Gloucester Historical Commission.
You may already be a member, volunteer or donor to one of these organizations. If so, please come to learn about their proposals and lend your support or suggestions for consideration. If not, come and be amazed by the incredible work of so many people in Gloucester who work and volunteer on a daily basis to make our city a better place for today's residents and future generations.
Any interested person will have the opportunity to be heard. Copies of the applications may be examined during regular business hours at the Community Development Department in the City Hall Annex at 3 Pond Road or can be viewed on the city website.
After the hearing, the Community Preservation Committee reviews each application, does site visits, and makes recommendations to the mayor and the full City Council for the final award determination. Your voice is an integral part of this decision-making process.
If for some reason you cannot attend the hearing, please submit your comments in writing by May 8 to Deb Laurie, CPA Project Manager, Community Development Office, 3 Pond Road, Gloucester.
Every round of new applications brings excitement to the table at the meetings of the Community Preservation Committee. We are looking forward to this next wave of community initiative. I hope you will join us for the ride and share your thoughts on April 17.
STACEY RANDELL
Gloucester
Member, Community Preservation Committee
